Over the past few weeks I’ve been to several shows throughout Montgomeryshire. I thought I’d experiment with my first video on here – the clip above shows the famous dog race at Llanbrynmair show, which I attended yesterday.

Glyn called me over to watch the famous race. Great commentary from “Moyley”. I’ve not laughed that much at any other show this year – Moyley got his finger bitten and then the mic stopped working before I got the camera out!

The need for a new path had first been discussed in a community meeting 18 months ago, I then took up the issue with council staff and it was agreed that a grant be applied for from for the Safe Routes in Communities Transport scheme.

The new section of Riverside Path is a real opportunity for residents of Trehafren & Vaynor to cycle into Newtown, if you want to cycle further you can now cycle all the way to Abermule. Several additional links have also been built into the estates along the route.

I would also like to give the new Clean Energy Centre a plug which has just opened in Newtown behind office express. If you live and work around Newtown, fed up with Newtown traffic, but feel a push bike is too much like hard work, what about trying an Electric bike! Jeremy Thorp who has just opened the new centre says it’s the transport of the future, and I agree. Jeremy would be happy to let you try one out, also ask him about the 50% off the cost if you buy through the cycle-to-work scheme.

We have also been able to attract a further £196,000 to continue the route out towards Vaynor and the college this year. Will keep you updated on progress.

Opening the path is Mayor Joy Jones, me to the left and Jeremy back right

Newtown is the main transport route from the West of Wales to Welshpool Livestock market and my concern is that there is a real cost to the farming industry in extended journey times, and of course, the animal welfare issues with livestock held up in lengthy queues etc.

Running a business in Mid Wales is tough enough in the present climate without the traffic issues.

I am particularly pleased that the Western Mail has covered this story in today’s Farming & Country supplement. I certainly hope that the Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones read this while having his mid morning coffee!

In this article notice how Ieuan Wyn Jones’s spokesperson has shifted his position again. When the County Times and Star asked the question 4 weeks ago, the answer they received was “We intend to make an announcement before the end of the summer”.

Now we are at the end of the summer the language has changed to “It remains our intention to announce the preferred route for the Newtown bypass shortly.” The “It remains our intention” is what angers me. I have a letter dated from Ieuan Wyn dated 30th April which says “I intend to make an announcement before the summer”.

View story at WalesOnline

Newtown traffic – this is beyond belief!

Part of the team that took part in the litter pick

Keep Wales Tidy has just released the results of their latest inspection of the standards of cleanliness of Powys streets. The latest inspection revealed no litter at all or predominantly free of litter. Tidy town funding is used to support  local community groups with activities such as litter picking days, area clean ups, clearing of overgrown areas etc.

I started to get involved in this scheme in Newtown this year. Last month I was part of a team that spent a morning collecting litter on the Vaynor estate, and this Saturday I organized a litter pick and clean up on the Trehafren estate.

Other than the rain (which started half way though this Saturday’s litter pick) I have  enjoyed being involved in this project; it gives a real sense of achievement and encourages community spirit. I have also been really pleased with the amount of people that turned out at the events we have organized.

I have also been concerned that fly tipping was becoming a problem in some areas, so we had organized a skip for the day that was freely available to all residents to make use off – On both occasions the skip was full within just a few hours.

Interestingly, in advertizing the scheme, one resident text me – “Regarding your recent mailshot about tidy and litter pick, surely this is what taxes are paid for!?”  My own view is that the person that text me missed the point. This is about people pulling together to make our communities better places to live, not just expecting authorities and others to do everything for us. We are increasingly becoming a selfish society, looking for people to blame and not wanting to take responsibility ourselves. I would be interested to know what other people’s views are.

cameras never switched on

Bellow is a letter I sent yesterday to the man and department responsible for approving the removal of the roundabout and for the layout and design of the new traffic system.

We just keep being let down, an early start date for the Newtown Bypass is vital to people’s sanity and the local economy.

After last Saturday’s gridlock situation in Newtown around lunchtime, I asked questions. What I found out was beyond belief!

Earlier this year a new traffic management system went into operation in Newtown following the removal of the Kerry road roundabout. Like most local people, I had little confidence in this new system when it was being promoted. We were told that this system would link back to a remote centre to monitor and control traffic flow in the town. Despite these cameras being installed, they have never actually been activated and indeed Newtown Traffic has not been monitored remotely at all!

This traffic light and camera system together cost £100,000, I will be interested in what the Minister for transport has to say. If the cameras are not working why not, this is the busiest time of the year for traffic in Mid Wales. If we are being told it’s not going to help or make a difference, why was the system put in place at a huge cost in the first place.

Below the letter in full –  But if you want the shortened version its this:

Mr Ieuan Wyn Jones – Can you please make your announcement on the Newtown Bypass, start work ASAP, and in the meantime make changes to improve traffic flow:

County Councillor R.I. George
Fuze Ltd
Broad Street
Newtown
Powys
SY16 2LS

Mr Ieuan Wyn Jones AM
Deputy First Minister and Minister for Economy and Transport
National Assembly for Wales
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff
CF99 1NA

18^th August 2010

Dear Deputy First Minister,

Newtown Traffic Chaos & the Announcement on the Newtown Bypass

I wrote to you on 26^th February setting out Newtown’s traffic problems. When I received your reply on the 30^th April, you informed me that you intended to make an announcement on the preferred option before the Summer. As I have received no further communication from you, and we are now nearing the end of the Summer period, I hope you can appreciate my disappointment that no announcement has been made.

As I hope you are aware, Newtown has experienced huge traffic problems for many years and the problems have become significantly worse over the past 12 months. I have been inundated with complaints from people expressing their deep concerns over the traffic chaos in Newtown.

The Kerry road (McDonalds) traffic lights continue to cause serious problems. It’s your Department that approved the removal of the roundabout and the layout and design of the new traffic system. Your department gave various assurances in February that the new traffic light system would be working to its optimum performance within 3 weeks of “going live”. Your department also confirmed that the new system would be monitored remotely by “Traffic Wales”. I understand that despite cameras being installed, they have never actually been activated and indeed Newtown Traffic has not been monitored remotely at all. Can you please confirm when Newtown traffic will be monitored; as your department had advised would be the case?

People in Mid Wales where advised that the new traffic light system and removal of the Kerry road roundabout would not create further congestion or cause significantly more delay. As this is clearly not the case, can you please detail what considerations have been giving to restoring the roundabout and what considerations have been given to purchasing adjoining land in order that a roundabout with duel lanes can be put in place?

In the meantime I would ask that you urgently review the design and layout of the trunk road though Newtown and most especially the new set of traffic lights. I should further be grateful if you could ask your department to support the following small changes to help improve traffic flow on the new layout immediately:-

• Move the central island on the southbound arm of the A483 closer to Cambrian Bridge, this will allow the right turning lane to be moved over slightly with the addition of the hatch markings to separate the 2 lanes.  This should improve visibility for the A483 North bound lane traffic wishing to turn right into Kerry Road.
• Altering the kerb-line from the crossroads to the lane next to the Indian restaurant would also improve traffic flow as it is noted that traffic is mounting the kerb to go round the inside of the waiting right turning vehicles.
• Introduction of a loop just after the stop line for South bound vehicles. The loop will mean that the traffic will determine if the right turn phase needs calling or not and if so for how long (I am sure this terminology will be familiar to staff within your Department). At present the right turn arrow is demanded automatically for a set period regardless of traffic flow so it is not as efficient as it could be. Once the loop is installed it will be interactive and the signals will proportion what it thinks is the optimum times for the right turn filter.
• The current settings seem to be disproportionately balanced towards the trunk road. Please revise the current settings as a number of residents have contacted me who have been in long queues towards Kerry and, at certain times of the day, people have to wait whilst the light changes 5 times before they can eventually travel over the trunk road towards Cambrian Bridge.
• Can you further confirm that the software that synchronizes the signals through Newtown is now operating at optimum performance?

The current chaos is causing significant damage to the local economy and the wider Mid Wales community. Businesses to the West of Newtown are suffering the most. Newtown is a central point in Wales, but even businesses as far away as Aberystwyth are being affected by this mess. Running a business in Mid Wales is tough enough already. I believe there is a serious safety issue with HGVs and other vehicles diverted and taking short cuts though residential areas. This in turn compromises the safety of local residents, and in particular school children. Examples of this can be seen on the estates of Treowen and Garth Owen and Canal Road.

When I wrote to you in February, I requested an urgent reply from you seeking your assurances and your commitment to resolving the traffic problems in Newtown. After several calls to your office, I eventually received a reply 8 weeks later. I understand there is a procedure that Ministers must respond to correspondence within a set period, and your reply to me clearly failed to comply. Your Department does not seem to be taking the traffic problems in Newtown seriously and does not seem to be in touch with what is happening. We need urgent action.

At the Newtown Traffic Study Exhibition last September, which revealed three possible routes for a By-Pass, your Department informed me that you would be revealing the preferred route in January. Given that the second date has now also passed, can you confirm when an announcement on the Newtown Bypass and the preferred route may be expected?

I have discussed the issue with Powys County Council’s executive management board, and I understand that the Chairman of the board has also written to you seeking assurances on the timing of the announcement on the Newtown Bypass.

As a local Councillor, I will be relaying your answer to many concerned people throughout Mid Wales. I would appreciate not just your decision on the preferred route but a detailed timetable for construction works though to completion of the project. An early start date is vital to the local economy.

Yours sincerely,

Russell George
Cynghorydd Sir / County Councillor – Newtown Central
Office: 01686 626500
Mobile: 07867782727

All being well, the new skate park should be open in the Autumn. It’s going to be built on the land at the entrance to Trehafren fields behind the police station.  I think this is a good location as it is fairly central and not located too close to residential properties.

The whole project was put out to tender. Often the Council puts a tender together and looks for companies to submit their ideas and price, but on this occasion companies have been told how much they have to spend, and they have to bring forward creative bids.

Each company bidding has consulted with young people from Newtown either by using Facebook, or by meeting groups to listen to their suggestions. I have always believed it’s not Councillors or council staff that should decide the design; it’s the people that will use it. The selection process will take place over the next few weeks, and the successful bidder will start work soon.

I was amongst a number of Councillors that was involved in securing the funding for the skate park. Being a Councillor often brings difficult and challenging issues, but it’s all worth it when you get a positive result.

If you are interested in knowing more or being involved in the skate park, please leave a comment.

See the County Times Story

At Guilsfield show yesterday visited the Guilsfield Community Centre stand.  They are raising funds to buy land between the football pitches and the main road. They need to raise £20,000 and are well on their way.

As the new Conservative candidate for next year’s Assembly election I’m keen to meet people. If you have any issues you would like to discuss, please feel free to come up and talk to me.

I will be at:

• Sarn (14th August) – During the morning and lunch time
• Llanfyllin (14th August) – In the afternoon
• Montgomery (21st August) – Lunchtime
• Carno (21st August) – Afternoon
• Berriew (28th August) – Throughout  the day
• Llanbrynmair (30th August) – Throughout  the day

And please leave a comment if you know about an event near you, as I’d like to attend!

It is welcome news to the areas of Wales that have benefited, but yet again, Mid Wales has been forgotten about. A recent report by Cardiff Business School for Visit Wales shows that tourism is of greater importance to the Welsh Economy than previously thought and Montgomeryshire has huge tourist appeal, we have beautiful unspoilt countryside and we should be taking full advantage of this.

Our Tourism Centres have been closed across Montgomeryshire in recent years and these new centres should have been equally distributed across the Country in order that the centres will attract more visitors to every corner of Wales including Montgomeryshire!

Two years ago, I remember two reasons being given for the closure of TIC’s in towns across Montgomeryshire. One was no money and the other was people go online now and don’t use centres!

Tourism is a vital sector of the economy in our area and it’s a shame the WAG are not serious in supporting this sector in Mid Wales.

I also read today that the BBC have reported, following a freedom of information request, that more than £400,000 was spent by the Welsh Assembly Government on external public relations firms in just one year. This seems to be excessive to me, especially when Ministers already employ staff to do this work.

This afternoon, I had a meeting with my Newtown County Councillor colleagues; we get together once a month to work on issues that are wider than our own wards. The main issue of discussion was Newtown Indoor Market Hall.

Together, we have achieved allot over the past 6 months, funding for a new Skate Park, Theatre Hafren and Maldwyn sports Centre.

Securing a good future for Newtown Indoor Market Hall is the area we are having most difficulty making progress. We all believe that capital money from the sale of the Smithfield site in Newtown to Tesco should be used to refurnish and fund a project that will make the Market Hall a real focal point and reason to visit the town centre.

Unfortunately, we have come across continued opposition. Can’t say too much, but we are now working on new plans to keep the refurbishment and regeneration firmly on the agenda.

Over 250 people attended a packed Welshpool town hall last Thursday evening to listen to questions put to myself and two other candidates. The meeting was open to members of the public, you didn’t need to be a party member to attend, and you just needed to be registered to vote in Montgomeryshire.

Interestingly, when former Labour MP John Marek was selected as the Conservative candidate to fight the seat in Wrexham the other day, also one of only three candidates, just 26 people turned up, I would have felt quite disappointed if this was the turnout in Welshpool. That said I of course wish John well and hope that he and I will be working as colleagues next May.

Turnout was high in Montgomershire because all three candidates where local, albeit from different parts of the constituency, and each having friends and family in the community coming out to support. All that said there was much interest, and many with an open mind.

I felt privileged and honored to have been selected. It was a difficult process, when the opposition are also friends who would have made excellent candidates for Montgomeryshire. I am hoping both will have the opportunity as assembly candidates in the other areas.

I had decided that if selected I was intending to fully commit my time to the job of candidate. It is my intention to win next May and to fly the flag for Montgomershire in the Assembly. I am keen to focus on finding solutions to the many problems we face and to listen to peoples concerns.

We need to retain and improve our local services and to find more efficient  ways of delivering services. We need to provide support for local business to combat high unemployment levels. I shall be challenging the Welsh Assembly Government on Montgomeryshire’s poor transport infrastructure, and more importantly on making an announcement on the preferred route and start date for the Newtown Bypass which I believe is crucial to the regeneration of our local economy.

The Welsh Assembly Government has done little for Mid Wales and this needs to change.